Hot homes: San Juan Capistrano house has ties to mission

The three-bedroom house on a hill in the Mission Flats neighborhood overlooks Mission San Juan Capistrano and the Pacific Ocean beyond. BOWMAN GROUP ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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The 2,214-square-foot home surrounds a courtyard with a fountain and outdoor seating. The courtyard provides access to all parts of the house. BOWMAN GROUP ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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The kitchen has an arched doorway and a custom-made center island. Various parts of the home, built in 1928, have been restored, listing agent Denise Knutson says. BOWMAN GROUP ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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The en-suite master bedroom includes a fireplace. BOWMAN GROUP ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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The master bathroom has an old-time ambiance. Another bathroom nearby boasts an open slate shower. BOWMAN GROUP ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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The living room has large windows with a view of Mission San Juan Capistrano and the Pacific Ocean beyond. BOWMAN GROUP ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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The house has many of its original features, including the hardwood and terra cotta floors, niches, windows, fireplaces and hand-carved wooden ceiling beams. LARRY LEFEVER PHOTOGRAPHY

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The three-bedroom house on a hill in the Mission Flats neighborhood overlooks Mission San Juan Capistrano and the Pacific Ocean beyond. BOWMAN GROUP ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHY

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A plaque at the front of the house displays its historical significance. MARILYN KALFUS, STAFF

A three-bedroom house in San Juan Capistrano linked to a pioneering Orange County family is on the market for $1.24 million.

The Spanish Colonial Revival-style home was built in 1928 for Justice of the Peace Marco F. Forster. He was a descendant of Don Juan Forster, who along with a partner, bought Mission San Juan Capistrano in 1845 for $710.

Perched on a hill in the Mission Flats neighborhood, the 2,214-square-foot residence overlooks the mission and the Pacific Ocean beyond. The home surrounds a courtyard, with a tranquil fountain, that provides access to each part of the house.

Original features include hardwood and terra cotta floors, windows, niches, fireplaces, an artisan-painted chimney, hand-carved wood beams and decorative ironwork.

The wrap-around courtyard leads to a side patio with a fireplace and outdoor dining and barbecue areas, set against a custom stone wall.

The property, at 31319 Andres Pico Road, also boasts a 90-year-old palm tree.

“This is part of the beginning of Orange County,” said Denise Knutson of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, the listing agent. The home has been restored in some areas by the sellers and has been kept in “pristine condition,” she said.

In 1954, Judge Foster sold the home to Don Durnford, who later became the city’s mayor. The home appears on the city’s list of historical landmarks as the Durnford/Marco Forster House.

The house qualifies for the Mills Act, Knutson said. That provides homeowners who maintain historic properties with a significant tax break.

Most of the furnishings, custom made for the home, are negotiable, she said.

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